Debunking Baby Food Myths

An allergy is one thing, but what about a food that your baby simply refuses to eat? Perhaps your culinary adventurer adamantly refuses to try green vegetables.

"There's a lot of good research to show that children are notoriously stubborn about new foods," says Dr. Kleinman. It's often necessary to introduce the unpalatable food multiple times. Leann Birch, head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State, published a study on food preferences in children. In it, she found that parents must present a food six to eight times before a baby will accept it.

Don't force it, but don't give up easily, either. You really do know more about nutrients, vitamins, and calories than your baby does, and he's counting on you to persist.